Methods for assessing the bioaccumulation of hydrocarbons and related substances in terrestrial organisms: A critical review

Abstract

This study investigates and reviews methods for the assessment of the terrestrial bioaccumulation potential of hydrocarbons and related organic substances. The study concludes that the unitless biomagnification factor (BMF) and/or the trophic magnification factor (TMF) are appropriate, practical, and thermodynamically meaningful metrics for identifying bioaccumulative substances in terrestrial food chains. The study shows that various methods, including physical–chemical properties like the KOA and KOW, in vitro biotransformation assays, quantitative structure–activity relationships, in vivo pharmacokinetic and dietary bioaccumulation tests, and field‐based trophic magnification studies, can inform on whether a substance has the potential to biomagnify in a terrestrial food chain as defined by a unitless BMF exceeding 1. The study further illustrates how these methods can be arranged in a four‐tier evaluation scheme for the purpose of screening assessments that aim to minimize effort and costs and expediate bioaccumulation assessment of the vast numbers of organic substances in commerce, identifies knowledge gaps, and provides recommendations for further research to improve bioaccumulation assessment. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2023;00:1–24. © 2023 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).

Trophic Transfer of Halogenated Organic Pollutants in a Wetland Food Web: Insights from Compound-Specific Nitrogen Isotope of Amino Acids and Food Source Analysis

“…Therefore, wetland food webs have features of interconnection and interaction between aquatic and terrestrial food chains. However, because of the limitations of food source analysis and trophic position (TP) quantification techniques, studies on HOPs biomagnification have mainly focused on single aquatic food chains or terrestrial food chains, − while few studies have been conducted on HOPs bioaccumulation and biomagnification behavior in wetland food webs, in which aquatic and terrestrial food chains interact.…”